Social media design influences human behavior, and the Big Tech platforms use it to boost profits – and their owners’ political agendas. Some smaller platforms are using design to support democracy.

Users on TikTok gravitate to networks of like-minded people, but right-leaning users tend to be in more tightly sealed echo chambers.

The messaging service was always going to be monetised.

Cheap, low-quality AI-generated content is still extremely attention-grabbing – and thus lucrative for both creators and platforms.

If the health content you see on social media sounds too good to be true, it’s very likely false – but there are ways to check it out before sharing.

Natural disasters prompt a flood of social media posts. AI can help sift the wheat of helpful information from the chaff of chitchat and misinformation.

Visual content, including manipulated images, is a staple of propaganda and political messaging. AI analysis shows that a surge of these memes can precede the outbreak of wide-scale violence.

A study of US state legislators found that posting misinformation online was a winning strategy for boosting a politician’s visibility – but not for Democrats.

The law is the balance point between limiting hate speech and misinformation and keeping censorship in check. Here’s what could happen if Congress kicks it out from under the internet.